... "Jose Enrique has been urged to stay at Newcastle United, despite his recent Twitter rant against the club's board.
"The Magpies are still keen to keep hold of Enrique after he impressed last season in the club's return to the Premier League.
"Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was happy to give his want-away defender a slap on the wrist, but Mike AShley felt a larger punishment was necessary."
The maximum a player can be fined is two weeks wages - and that was the outcome - so Pardew had no influence in reducing the fine.
The Newcastle manager admitted in the States that it was "time for Enrique to move on."
Pardew added: "It would be best for all concerned, and we would be able to get the transfer money to replace him.
"I don't want another Andy Carroll situation, and see him leave on the last day of the transfer window and we don't have time to bring in a new player."
The news we have had from a reporter out in the States was that the Spaniard stood out like a sore thumb: "The squad were generally happy, despite being exhausted by the ridiculous travel arrangements.
"They seemed pretty much upbeat, with the younger players enjoying it most of all.
"But Jose hasn't been happy since we arrived. He wants to get back to England to sort out his future, and that was obvious to everyone."
The incident is not the first time the left back has been in trouble following a post on Twitter, as he revealed in December that he would not be in Pardew's starting line-up for a fixture with Tottenham, before the starting 11 had been named.
PRE-SEASON FIXTURES:
COLUMBUS CREW 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ameobi, Coloccini, Vuckic)
Harper; Tavernier, S Taylor, Coloccini (Dummett, 54), Enrique; Gutierrez (Abeid, 85), Tiote (Smith, 62), Gosling, Marveaux (Vuckic, 76); Ameobi (Best, 75), Ba. Subs not used: Forster, Krul.
ORLANDO CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Forster; R Taylor (Enrique, 26), S Taylor, Coloccini, Tavernier; Gosling (Vuckic, 71), Smith (Abeid, 74), Tiote, Gutierrez; Best (Ba, 74), Lovenkrands (Ameobi, 74). Subs not used: Krul, Harper.
SPORTING KANSAS 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Gosling, Coloccini, S Taylor, R Taylor, Marveaux (Tavernier 46), Tiote (Abeid 46), Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Ba (Best 72), Lovenkrands (Smith 46).
DARLINGTON 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Barton, Sammy Ameobi)
Forster; Simpson (Dummett), S Taylor (Tavernier), Williamson (Henderson), Ferguson (R Taylor); Barton (Abeid), Guthrie (Cabaye, Donaldson), Smith (Gosling), Vuckic (Sammy Ameobi); Ben Arfa (Richardson), Best (Ranger). Subs not used: Soderberg, Newton.
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